|
(Continued
from last issue)
by
Isaac Leeser
In
our last number we endeavoured to prove that the want of religious
practice in many places, is owing to the absence of proper guides. Now,
let us look around and observe what other societies have been, and are
doing, for the propagation and confirming of their opinions, and we will
have some idea what we ought to do ourselves if we are really desirous
to see Judaism flourish in its vigour and beauty; and though we are not
permitted to borrow their method, nor to follow them step by step in all
their movements, still we may learn wisdom from then, and adapt to our
case some features, which are based upon rules of wisdom and sound
policy.
Let
us premise that “to let alone” may be, in some cases, very good
policy; too much meddling and interference with the business of
individuals is wrong, as leading to the destruction of individual
freedom, and not rarely fails of effecting the good which the actors in
such movements may honestly contemplate; but we may, on other hand, be
too much on the other extreme, and let an evil come to maturity for want
of a timely co-operation to remove it by a united effort. We will,
therefore admit, that among many Christian Societies, there may be too
much interference with each other’s conscientious scruples; but this
does not prove that there is not a great deal of sound wisdom in their
manner of handling great questions of general concern.
In
the first place, there is hardly any Christian Society which does not
strain every nerve to have an intelligent and virtuous ministry,
composed of men who would honour any calling by their acquirements and
general good conduct. There are, no doubt, exceptions; but the very
universal surprise expressed whenever such an unworthy personage
presents himself, proves that the greater portion at least, of those who
do officiate as the ministers of the various denominations, are
intelligent and pious men.
Now
it requires no great experience to convince any one, that among the
English-speaking Jews at least, including England and her dependencies,
no less than the United States of North America, there is hardly such an
institution as a Jewish ministry. We know well enough, that each
Synagogue, wherever the number of the congregation is sufficient, is
presided over, or rather served, by an officer elected to fulfil the
ministerial duties demanded by the rites of our religion; he reads the
prayers and the the laws, attends marriages and funerals, and is present
where his services are officially required. He perhaps visits the
members of his congregation at stated periods, and renders himself
generally acceptable by his gentlemanly demeanour and good religious
conduct. But what are the qualifications which have hitherto been
demanded? A particular acquaintance with the chaunts and sacred tunes of
his peculiar Minhag* and some general knowledge of Hebrew; of course,
his religious character must be unexceptionable; but, beyond this, who
did ever ask for any thing more ? It is with pleasure, that we
acknowledge that some other qualifications are now looked for; but how
long has this demand existed? And how many incumbents come up to the
standard required? It is now fifteen years ago, since the writer of this
was summoned from private life, to take, unexpectedly to himself, the
charge of the congregation which he has served ever since. But, instead of an examination into his fitness, by previous
study and the due acquirements for the office to which he was called, he
was merely required to read the service for three successive weeks;
when, without any farther inquiry or examination, he was installed into
office. We are perfectly willing to acknowledge that it is a difficult
thing to be proficient in the correct performance of the service, and we
fear, that despite of a fifteen years’ practice, we are far from
perfect, and much behind most of our contemporaries in this respect; but
still we leave it to the candour of our intelligent readers to decide
whether an acquaintance with mere routine of duty, and a correct manner
of reading ought to be all, or is in
fact all, that should be, or is required of our readers. Our American
and English brethren are sighing for the bread of life; and who is to
distribute it to them? to whom are they to apply for information in the
dearest and holiest concerns of life? Their ministers, as a rule, (for
there are exceptions we gladly acknowledge,) are not themselves fitted
for the task; and to whom else can they apply, with any degree of
confidence to be properly enlightened? We shall, perhaps, be answered,
that there are in every place men who have much knowledge of religion, and who will be at all times willing and
ready to inform their less learned brethren. But there are many
objections to such a dependence upon irresponsible persons. First, their
reputation is generally a matter of uncertainty; they may, or may not be
highly learned; for who knows the extent of their acquirements? who has
examined them? who testifies to their general good character? Secondly,
if even all these questions should be answered to their advantage, it
would still be optional with them to gratify the laudable curiosity or
not, just as it might suit their humour of the moment. And thirdly, they
are naturally not accessible to all the brethren, alike; and hence,
though some few, who are intimate friends and neighbours, might be
properly instructed through them, there would be a far greater portion
who could never learn nor hear what these erudite men have taught
concerning the ways of the Lord. We decline looking for any more
objections; since those just stated are amply sufficient for our
purpose, and exhibit, we think, beyond a doubt, that we too, require a
proper ministry, independently of the usual reader of the Synagogues;
men, who are to teach the people, and are to be ready at all times to inform
any inquirer concerning the great truths which are entrusted to the
safe-keeping of Israel; men whose general knowledge of sciences and the
holy things especially appertaining to the sons of Jacob would place
them in the front ranks of the educated classes of society, and whose
sterling and approved piety would not yield, in the least, to those of
the church dignitaries of any other part of the community.
But
let us look round among our various congregations, and see where such
men are? Where are the preachers who are to be the leaders of the
people? Where the ecclesiastical chiefs who are to instruct? The persons
who are capable of delivering sermons and actually do so, are but few
indeed, and, with all, their qualifications in this respect would not
have placed them in their position as ministers, unless they had been
qualified to, and in fact did, officiate as the readers of the service
likewise. Now, with the desire for instruction, has sprung up a demand
that the readers should likewise be preachers; and the general inquiry
is, “Why cannot our ministers do as Mr. Nathan or Mr. Rosenfeld, or
the Messrs. Isaacs, or Mr. Marks, or Dr. Raphall does?” In good sooth,
it is asking that of people, which they have never applied themselves
to, and which, from their education, they are the least qualified to
furnish. For we say it without invidiousness the few whose names we have
enumerated, are hitherto the only regular English preachers with whose
names we are familiar, and if we add, Mr. Carillon of St. Thomas, who
lately quitted office, Dr. De la Motta of Charleston, who however, is
not in office, he having acted merely without election or compensation,
and Mr. Poznanski, who also preaches occasionally, though not as
frequently as might be desired: we have exhausted all those who, have
given instruction in this manner; and the occasional sermons which are
delivered in English and American Synagogues by others, are merely by
volunteers who, once in a while, give an exhortation to the assembled
brethren, and their productions do then also partake too much of the
nature of an oration, and too little that of the sermon. There are,
besides the above, only about three known to us who preach in German to
the brethren of this denomination in America, to wit: Mr. Rice at
Baltimore, Mr. Michelbacher at Philadelphia, and Mr. Mertzbach at New
York; and with these few exceptions, the immense number of Israelites
scattered over the American continent and islands, and we may include
England, Scotland and Ireland, are without public religious instruction,
except on few and rare occasions, and this not from any fault of the
incumbents in office, but simply, because they have never been educated
for the purpose.
We
have spoken about the qualifications and duties required of our
ministers, and for them they are amply qualified; but for what purpose
should they acquire what was formerly not demanded? and where, this is
the GREAT question, could they obtain access to such information as
would enable them to become religious teachers? We say it, with
heartfelt sorrow, there is no school either in England or America, where
a Jewish student of theology could be educated, or whence he might issue
forth as an able representative of his religion, and a ready expounder
of the Word. Formerly, this was the case also in Germany, and the other
parts of the continent; the sermon was a rare thing, and a preacher, as
such, absolutely unknown. There were Darshahnim, or allegorical
expounders of scripture and Talmud, or Mocheechim, exhorters of the
people; but a regular and classically educated orator was nowhere to be
found. With the revival of classical knowledge among the continental
Jews, a taste for pulpit eloquence also revived; and the excellent
custom of public instruction, in vogue during the second temple and the
times of Tanaim and Amoraim, or the doctors of the Mishna and Talmud,
thus finding advocates, it was not long before men of high attainments
stepped forth to respond to the call, and they taught the people in
words of glorious eloquence, such as have seldom been equalled, never
surpassed among any of the various classes of Christians. We have to
boast of a Zunz, Sachs, Hirsch, Phillippson, Mannheimer, Salomon, Kley,
Plessner, Wolff, Jolowicz, and many others in Germany; Wogue and Fabius
in France, besides others in Italy, Holland and the northern parts of
the continent, whose names are not familiar to us; and all these bright
examples prove, that it requires but an incentive to urge the Jewish
mind to an eminence as high as ever reached before by the descendants of
Israel, or those of other nations. We will admit in these premises, that
several of the names cited above have lent themselves to the innovating
party, and have wrought what we term injury to our good cause; but they
are with all their faults Israelites, and carry aloft the banner of our
faith to the admiration of the world; they have done wrong, but they may
have been led away by the consciousness that something must be done, to
seek in unauthorized changes for the remedy, though this was done
unwisely, for the wide-spreading indifference to the dictates of our
blessed religion. They responded thus erroneously to the spirit of the
age, as they understood, and yet understand it; for all the names we
have mentioned belong to the living; but we cannot deny for this reason
their claim to be numbered among Israel. And gladly as we could wish
that there were no breach among us, joyful as we would be, could we
assert that all our teachers enforced the Word in the same manner; we
must not overlook the fact that even the reformers have shed a halo
around the name of Israel, which we are by no means willing should be
lost to us. No doubt the evil will in process of time cure itself; there
will be an assimilation of opinions, and the rough outlines of hasty
reform, called forth by the too great ardour of some persons to place
themselves in the front rank before the public, will be worn away by the
action of more calm deliberation and more mature thinking, when the
future good may cause us to dwell with a melancholy satisfaction on the
acts of the past; for we have no doubt, that in this, as well as other
occurrences which befel us, “Men may think for evil, but the Lord will
think it for good.”
We
know well enough, that there are to this day, many who do not value
sermons much, believing that the general diffusion of religious
knowledge will effect more than mere partial teaching through oratorical
displays, if these be even of the highest order. And to confess the
truth, we adhere in the main to the same opinion. But there is one
question to be answered: “Where and how can our population, both old
and young, both male and female, both rich and poor; both learned and
unlearned, obtain the much desired religious knowledge? Where are our
schools? our libraries? our books?” Yet, unless we have all these,
there can be no thought of a general acquaintance with religion; and
even with them, we still maintain, that though a universal diffusion of
knowledge had taken place, neither sermons nor fervid religious orators
would become useless; as, in conjunction with domestic and school
education, they would exercise an influence over the mind of society,
which we now can hardly have any idea of. What does any one think would
be the fate of protestant Christianity without the constant appeal to
the fear and reason of its professors from the ten thousand pulpits
which scatter information and admonition many times during every week?
Who does not discover in the army of religious orators, a most powerful
arm for the upholding of any system to which their well-stored minds are
directed? We candidly admit, as we have said already, that there is a
great deal of truth in the objection to orators; “that they are not
every thing which we require, and that we can dispense sooner with them
than with education.” But we think it at the same time unquestionably
true, that a well directed, powerful appeal to the feelings of an
audience, or a bold denunciation of a flagrant wrong, in the manner of
the prophets, by a fearless and unblemished preacher, cannot fail to
have a little effect, and to leave some impression, however slight these
may be. But if even there should be no immediate impression produced,
still words spoken have singular effect, they are abroad on their
mission; and an idea thrown out, as it were, from the rich abundance of
a devoted soul may kindle a fire in the heart of many, which will not be
quenched, though it blaze not forth until after many days.—Perhaps
some may farther object, that if we admit “that orators have power for
good, they may have it likewise for evil.” This is certainly true, and
we have to this day to deplore much injury which we have suffered from
the misdirected eloquence of some of our great names, names which we
have enumerated among our list of highly endowed orators. But there is
no unmixed good on this earth; and if we have any confidence in the
holiness and stability of our faith, which we are sure no Israelite is
without, we cannot for a moment admit that any permanent injury can be
inflicted on our system by unworthy men, whilst the Word is free, and
those who really love their faith are ready and able to battle with the
weapons of truth for the holy cause. Our religion has ever been one in
favour of freedom of discussion, and those who know our rabbinical
writings must also admit that on the bravest subjects differences of
opinion were willingly tolerated, and no one has ever been denounced as
a heretic for differing in some points with the majority of his
brethren. We cannot at present go farther into this question; but we
appeal for the justification of what we assert to those better
acquainted with the subject than we pretend to be.—At all events we
know that some persons have received lasting religious impressions, even
to the production of a change of life, from words spoken in a sermon,
and from words comitted to the press, which went forth on their silent
mission over the face of the earth; and we cannot doubt that if sinners
could only be made to resort to the house of God, we should be able to
boast, equally with the Christians, of revivals in our obdurate members.
They are human, and are influenced by human affections; why then should
they not be able to succumb to the truth, when so many gentiles can be
influenced with the doctrines which are enforced from their pulpits?
But
we must leave this discussion and revert to the query “Whence are our
preachers to come from in America and England? whence are our youth to
draw the religious knowledge which is to qualify them to know their duty
and to impress it on others?” It is no answer to saw that we have the
Bible to resort to; for this the Christians have as well as we, and
still they deduct such doctrines from the Sacred Text, as would, if admitted, prove the destruction of our system and of our nation.
We need not impress upon the reader’s attention, what the dogmas of
Christianity are, nor that they are firmly believed in by its followers.
What then constitutes the difference between Jews and gentiles? Nothing
but their education, and perhaps the idea of the unity of God inherent
to a greater degree in those of the seed of Abraham than in the
descendants of other families. But of this we cannot speak with any
decree of confidence, for there are descendants from apostate Jews who
are, to all appearance, as sincere believers in a trinity, as are
original Christians; on the other hand, the secret Jews of Spain, have
preserved the knowledge and practice of the faith of their fathers,
whilst they outwardly simulate a profession of Christianity.—But to
such an unsafe guide, as an inherent idea on any subject, we cannot rely for
any religious conviction; and if therefore, we wish to preserve Judaism,
we must resort to the only means in our power, and this is, as we have
said, education in its most extensive bearing: that is education at home
and education at school. Our youth, both male and female, should receive
a thorough training from parents and teachers, in all the dogmas and
duties which belong to Israel; and those of our young men who have the
capacity, ought then to be educated that they may step forward as public
teachers of the Word of God, to urge their brethren in the way they
should go. We want ministers, so also do we want an enlightened
community; upon the ignorant, fanatics may be able to work, and produce
an effect which is both striking and melancholy; but an educated and
virtuous man requires an educated community for his field of labour,
provided they are in a measure prepared to understand what he lays
before them. We moreover want native ministers, men born to speak the
language of the country, who have sympathies and feelings in common with
their congregations, who have personal friends and relatives to assist
them in their arduous labours and to obtain such as these, we must
educate them, and we say it boldly, we have not done our duty till we
have made every effort to accomplish this result.
But
the extent to which we have carried our remarks warns us to stop for the
present; so we again break off abruptly, and recommend the whole subject
to the calm consideration of our benevolent and pious fellow Israelites
in every place where the want of a good ministry has been, and is felt
at the present time. We invite our friends to discuss the subject in our
paper, wishing that something may be elicited for the benefit of our
common cause, the ancient religion of Israel. |
